AbstractSkinning the between is a possibility, an equation. It’s a primary and very basic approach to a great deal of fragment thoughts about the city.

The project originates from a reflection about the velocity of the world we live. How the new interacts with the old, how the spaces between the those patches are mediated, how the spaces between spaces structure the urban fabric.

These residual spaces between, underneath or even above large structures, and somehow incongruous spaces tend to assume a fascinating hybrid nature, since they are formed as a by-product of the relation between the large, often tall structures, and the residual space in-between. From a formal and graphic approach, we can understand them as just another layer in the urban fabric, a sort of a residual vascular system. That might be, but there is also a difference between rationalizing space in our minds, and the actual fruition of those same spaces. A lot has been said and written about this spaces (more non-spaces), eventually in a best effort non-places, using Auge’s terminology. The project is expected reserve an symbiotic and endemic nature.

Skinning steel, is a small experiment, that aims to the re-use of steel structures in urban niches. This way exploring the possibility of re-framing steel structures, that grow between, under or above urban existences. Skinned with a polymeric membrane, acts simultaneously as a roof, facade, floor. Subverts the notion of interior and exterior. Creates shade, and visual frames without enclosure.

In this hybrid environment, equates the possibility of creating an independent support system for various programmatic purposes. The possibility of generating a support structure for an argumented reality layer is also assumed, enforcing the notion of a hybrid space, somewhere between a urban reality, an argumented space and a mental place.

ProcessThe urban fabric is analyzed trough Google earth, The satellite images are processed in photoshop, and the urban elements are divided into layers. The space between the mass urban elements, is assumed as growing space. This way, in this layer key points are chosen in the X,Y and Z axes that will be assumed as coordinates for the frame nodes. A structure between this nodes is made in Rhinoceros using the grasshopper generative engine, this way controlling not only the position of the nodes but aspects related with the frame structure in a parametric way. From this process is also extracted a bounding box that will be transformed into the polimeric skin in cinema 4d, by means of a hyper-NURBS modifier. Both pieces are composed together to form the main support structure.

Abstract Biotope is nature inspired. The base concept in grown from the observation of small porous rocks and corals that provide habitat to living micro-organisms and small animals. This simbiotic relationship between an organism and his living environment can also be taken from the micoscopic scale to a planetary onde, this way assuming the relation between a wole specie, like humankind and the planet itself. This notion of "oneness" finds it's midterm in the building scale. Where further speculations may interest architects and designers alike. This assumed conceptual exploration is based on a coral-like building, working as a biotope.The building would regulate aspects like shade, light, temperature, humidity control and others in the same way as a living organism. Based in advanced generative algotithms the biotope would be able to negotiate and manage the relation between the inside space and the outside environment. At an interior level, managing the relation between inner "bubbles" of living space, promoting an hybridization of staying places and passage spaces, and the duality between mass and subtraction of mass. Exploring this way the notion of porous space

ToolsCinema 4d

Process Modeling the main body, as a NURBS-Type polisurface. Sculp inner spaces and openings. Inculde a Hyper-NURBS modifier to combine and merge the inner spaces with the exterior polysurface creating a unified porous biotope shape. A Physical model can be created by sectioning the biotope in Rhino 3d and produce severeal sections of the model in a CNC machine, by means of subtraction.

AbstractIn this exploration, the waterfront is taken as a privileged place, promoting the awareness of the interrelated and dynamic nature of the territory.The awareness of this countless dynamic relationships, tends to define a web of new and more subtle relations between the subject-object-space, defining in this way a new understanding of the waterfront as a unified, dynamic and flowing whole. The converging of all this relations is merged into a data bank that like a “primordial soup”, merges data from various origins, forming a meta-concept of the waterfront itself, this new digitally unified model is assumed as a generative base model, an open system that takes into account the not only the meta-data between the basic elements but also the relation of the sequence of events times, tides and discontinuity, simultaneity and superimposition. The generation of a possible conceptual shape, is in this way, being deeply rooted in the nature of the generation strategy, assuming that the same territory can be worked with many development strategies, We can also assume numerous structured outcomes. This way, program, programmatic content and intentions are essential as means of control of such development strategies.

ProcessThe first main procedure in creating a data tank of information about the waterfront. Images, statistics, morphology, geological data, weather data, sun charts, walking paths, landmarks, etc.Abstract perceptions of phenomenological nature are also registered and taken as variables.Images are tagged with meta-content in lightroom. Numeric data in Calc, weather and climate are analyzed in Ecotect. Particle simulations are made in cinema 4d, with dynamics. All the possible data is merged in open office database. A possible conceptual approach is modeled using rhinoceros, using the generative engine grasshopper, that can merge directly in the model definition data from other sources.

AbstractFractal Grid is meta project that explores the conceptual possibility of a Non-topological model based on a generative self-sustained approach. The approach is grounded on mathematical principles, and developed with the aid of 3d design tools. It explores less usual semantics and arguments regarding fractal development and crystal structures in urban and non-urban landscapes. This way trying to bridge the traditional topological models and an abstract mathematical model in a dynamic relation of interactions .This way generating a “fractalization layer” with the possibility of re-programing space fruition trough the cage relations, layers and densities. A notion of continuity in the landscape is redefined by the superimposed layer, in a way unifying the traditional entropic relation between urban and highly populated areas an non-urban and less populated areas. In this way, the current stage of research is still contemplating a larger scope of situations, mainly grouped in urban and non-urban landscapes. Both interacting with the fractalization layer in distinct ways.

The urban layerThe fractal relations establish themselves in a mathematical form trough the city's empty spaces, forming a conceptual infrastructure that generates a ”non-empty” place above, between and even under the urban topography.The conceptual infrastructure, establishes it self trough the dynamic relation between the cage and the topological urban scene. Defining in this way a new layer-system in the city. This fractalization layer, is assumed as a self justified model of mathematical genesis that bridges both landscape models, one of urban topological origin and another of pure mathematical abstraction. We still may consider a third layer as a by-product of the relation between this two layers, as the space between may also be defined as an hybrid layer, of dualistic characteristics.

The non-urban layerIn the non-urban landscape, the fractal relationship establish itself via the landscape morphology, in this way gaining a much closer, almost promiscuous relationship between the layers. The fractalization layer is still assumed as a self-driven infrastructure by mean of it's generative nature, but now due to the closer relation with the terrain's morphology it gains it may gain at time a almost endemic nature to the place, merging with it or becoming an extension of it.

ToolsRhinoceros 3d, Blender, Python, Qhull.

ProcessModeling main geometry body as a NURBS-Type polisurface . Defining key control points. Establish generative limits. grow Fractalize volume into a cloud of points. Turn cloud into a cage.The process may seem complex but in fact is a very basic modeling process, it's just being applied in a unusual research context. It can be achieved with any major 3d software pack. The mathematical process can be obtained via code (python), via Qhull or even by blender. Qhull and blender have their own rules, in python you can code yourself the tools. For this exploration (at this stage at least) the last two suffice.